Moistening device.



3.,?. CUMMINGS.

MOISTENING DEVICE.

'APPLIOATION FILED ooT.5, 1910.

Patented .13.11.31, 1911.

WITNESSES ai. A may MOISTENING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 31, 1911.

Application led October 5, 1910. Serial No. 585,479.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN F. Communes, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loistening Devices, of which the followingI is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for moist-ening envelops and mail mattei' for the purpose of atfixing postage stamps, and one of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a moistening device actuated by gravity to apply moisture to the upper' surface of an envelop prior' to the attixiug of a stam p thereto.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a water container provided with an absorbent element extending through a tube and through a moistener casing to apply moisture to the surface of an envelop, said water container being pivotally mounted upon a table or support for the envelop and the weight of the container' serving to hold the moistening clement down upon the snrface of the envelop as it is fed underneath the same on the table.

My present invention is designed to be used in connection with a stamp atiixing machine of suitable construction.

'lhe objects and advantages above referred to may be attained by means of the construction illl'lstrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure l. is a perspective View of a moistening device made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through the container, the tube leading therethrough and the moistener casing extended from the tube.

Referring' to the drawing' the numeral l designates a table properly supported upon the frame 2 of the stamp atixing machine, said table having a graduated scale 3 thereonto which the envelop or printed mattei' is moved in the moistening operation. A hollow water container t preferably but not necessarily of circular form is provided with a bearing lug 5 in which a perforation 6 is formed for the reception of a pivot pin 7, said pin being secured in a lug 8 projecting from the table l. A tube 9 communicates with the interior of the water container and extending at an angle to said tube 9 is a casing 10 of a width slightly greater than a postage stamp. The easing 10 is provided with a removable cover ll secured in place by means of a set screw l2. The casing l0 is provided with sides 13, each having an en,- largement lelat its outer end. A feeding device consisting of' an absorbent element 15 extends from the water container through the tube 9 and through the moistener easing, said element having an enlarged contact end 1G adapted to normally lie on top of the table owing' to the superior weight of the mois tener casing relatively to the water container. ,lo adjust the bearing` of the end 1G upon the table l a set screw 17 is secured in the frame Q and may be turned to bear against the projecting portion 1S of the moistener casing. It stopper 19 is fitted in a nozzle 20 in the water container to provide means whereby the container may be readily retilled whenever required.

rlhe operation of my invention may be brietiy described as follows: An envelop or other mail package is pushed underneath the end .lo of the moistening element and up to the scale .5, said envelop or mail package being moistcned on its upper right hand cor ner in position to receive a stamp to be applied by the stamp aftixing machine. In many pieces of mail matter it is necessary to aliinr two or more postage stamps, depending upon the weight of the envelop or package. Provision is made for this contingency by the use of the gradlilated scale 3. The envelop or other piece of mail matter is pushed under the moistener until the end of the envelop registers with the first mark. If another stamp is to be applied the envelop is moved to the second mark and so on for any number of stamps required.

F rom the foregoing' it will be obvious that a moistening device made in accordance with my invention will quickly meisten the surface of an envelop or other mail package, that the invention is simple in construction, cannot readily get out of order, can be adjusted for any required thickness of mail packages or envelops and can be produced at low cost.

I claim:

l. device for moistening the surface of envelops preparatory to atiixing stamps thereto comprising a table, a water container pivotally connected to the table, a tube extending from the water container, a moistener casing communicating with the tube, and an absorbent element extending from the easing through the tube and mois tener easing, said water container being pivl oted at one side of its center whereby the Contact end of said absorbent element will bear upon the surface of an envelop resting upon the table.

2. A moistening device for moistening the Surface of envelope or mail matter preparatory to atlixing stamps thereto comprising a table having a stop, a moistener pivotally mounted upon the table and adapted by gravity to hold a moistening element down upon the surface of the mail matter7 and an adjustable stop for limiting the pivotal movement of the moistener.

3. A moistener or mail matter comprislng a table having a Stop thereon, a Water l container pivoted to the table, a tube extend ing from the Container, a moistener casing extending from the tubev and provided with a detachable cover, a moisteningelement eX- tending from the container through the tube and casing, and provided with a Contact end for applying moisture to the Surface of the mail matter, and an adjustable stop for limiting the pivotal movement of the Water container.

In teetimony Whereorl l alix my Signature in presence ot' two Witnesses.

JOHN F. CUB'IMINGS. lVitnesses z JOHN L. FLETCHER, M. R. MULLEN. 

